Angels get Burnett back, finally, as they host Royals

For the first time in 13 months, Sean Burnett is available to pitch in a game at Angel Stadium.

And the left-handed reliever is pretty excited about it. The 31-year-old was activated from the disabled list before today's 7:05 p.m. game against the Kansas City Royals after a week-long rehab stint with Double-A Arkansas preceded by two weeks in extended spring training in Arizona.

He was working his way back from August surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his left elbow. Burnett pitched only 9 2/3 innings in 2013 and none after April 21 at home, although he did appear in two games in Kansas City in May.

He said he was topping out at 90 miles per hour with his sinker in Arkansas, numbers right on par with his 2012 velocity statistics when he was a dominant set-up man for the Washington Nationals.

“I’m there physically,” Burnett said today. “Now, it’s just the anxiousness and the nerves getting back out there and doing it on a big-league mind for the first time in a long time. The stuff’s there, and the action on the ball is where it needs to be. It’s just controlling my emotions the first few times out.”

Said Angels manager Mike Scioscia: “Needless to say, we’re thrilled to have Sean back. He’s one of those guys who you don’t realize what he brings until he’s not here."

In other injury news, outfielder Josh Hamilton was scratched from the second game of his rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake tonight when he felt discomfort in his surgically repaired left thumb during batting practice.

Scioscia said Hamilton was jammed by a fastball from hard-throwing Dodgers minor-leaguer Jose Dominguez in his fourth at-bat Thursday, which resulted in a groundout to short.

The manager indicated Hamilton could play Saturday, but it decreases the likelihood Hamilton could return to the majors Monday, as was originally planned.

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